Well-drilling apparatus



PATENTED FEB. 6, 1906.

I. L. NEELY. WELL DRILLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23.1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 I. L. NEELY. WELL DRILLING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.23. 1904.

PATENTED FEB. 6, 1906.

2 SHSETSSHBET 2 IRA Li NEELY, or INDEPENDENCE, KANsAs.

WELL-DRILLING APPARATUS.-

, Specification of Letters Patent;

Application filed April 23', 1904. Serial No. 204,626.

Patented Feb. 6, 1906.

.To all whom it mag concern.-

lBe it known that I, IRA L. NEELY, of Independence, countyof Montgomery, and State of Kansas, have invented a certain new and useful Well-Drilling Apparatus; and I do.

hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich like numerals refer to like parts.

' sue as oil, gas, and Art'esian wells-with the let 24 for the steam, which may be brought to The object of this invention is to provide a sim le and practical means for drilling wells use of a wire cable. I

It has longbeen desired by drilling contrac tors to use a wire cable in drilling wells on account of its longevity; but it has been heretofore unpractical, because of its inelasticity;

and nopractical means for utilizing the wire cable for such purpose has been provided, so

far as I am aware.

A lowing description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the device with a steam-cylinder and valve mechanism in central vertical section andparts broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device with the walking-beam and attached parts thrown over somewhat away from the well being dug, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the valve mechanism onthe line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the, frame and parts of the device.

lln the drawings the parts marked are portions of the derrick, such as is usually found over oil-wells, and it constitutes no part of this invention.

A base-frame is made consisting of suitable longitudinal beams 11' and cross-beams I2, and this frame is placed in proximity to the well. A walkin -beam 13 is pivoted at its rear end to a re 14, that is mounted transverselyin the upper ends of a pair of posts 15, only one of which is shown. The post 15 is ivoted at its lower end to the beam 1 1 of the ase-frame.'

Atemperscrew 16, of anyknown construction, is connected with the free end of the walking-beam 13 and clam s the wire cable 17, to the lower endof whic a suitable drilling-tool is secured; but said tool is not herein shown; The means for holding the wire cable 17 need not differ from the means generally employed for holding other kinds of caes. l

The means for actuating the walking-beam in order to elevate. the cable and drilling-tool is attached-and acts between the fulcrum and the working end of said walking-beam. The

- actuating means which I em loy permits the use of the wire cable for dril 'ng and consists of a steamcylinder 20, mounted on the baseframe, with the upper end thereof open, a piston 21 in said cylinder, and a pistonrod 22, connecting the piston with the walkingbeam.

- The steam-valve mechanism 23 has an insaid inlet by any suitable means. The steaminlet opens into a steam-chamber 25, that communicates with a chamber 26, all the ports between said chambers being closed by the steam-valve 27. municates with the cylinder. An exhaustchamber 28 communicates also with said chamber 26, and the port between is controlled by an exhaust-valve 29. This exhaust-valve has a' stem 30 extending through it, the lower end reciprocating in a guidingrecess 31 and the upper end passing through a stuffing-box. It is actuated by the lever 32, fulcrumed between its ends to 'a stand 33, that is mounted above the steam-chamber 25. Said lever 32 is actuated by a connecting-rod 34, that passes through an eye 35, secured to 35 yielding stops 36 are mounted loosely on the connecting-rod 34. A spiral spring 37, surrounding the connecting-rod, lies adjacent each stop, and said spring is held from escape by collars 38, secured to the connecting-rod.

The stem 30 of the exhaust-valve has an openin in the portion thereof below the valve t on h which a lever loosely extends. Sai lever is fulcrumed at 51 at its other end within the chamber 26 and is used to elevate the valve-stem 52 of the steamvalve 27, and thereby opens the steam-inlet port. The upper end of said stem 52 is guided by the recess in the stand 33.

The operation is as follows: Whenthe steam is introduced, it elevates the piston and walking-beam until the eye 35 on the walking-beam engages the upper s ring-stop 36 on t e connecting-rod 34 an elevates said rod, and through the lever 32 such movement of said connecting-rod lowers the exhaust-valve 29 and opens the exhaust-port. At the same time the stem 30 lowers the lever 50 and the steam-valve 27, so as to close the steam-inlet port. Then the walking-beam, wire cable,

The chamber 26 comthe walking-beam. On each side of said eye and drilling tool drop suddenly and with force as the steam esoapesfi'om beneath the piston; 1

This downward movement of the walking beam causes the eye 35 thereon to engage the lower spring-stop 36 on the rod 34 and push sai drod, downward somewhat, which causes a reversal of the valves and moves them in the position shown in Figxl, which permits the steam again to .enter the cylinder. This returnin ofthe steam into the "c" finder pref-g erably occurs at the moment t e-d'rill-to'oL strikes the rock andserves as 'a'cushio'n' toI limit the downward movement of the piston,

proper time.

and I other parts, including the wire cable; The'exact moment in the operation of 'the machine for the admission of the steam into the cylinder to 'efiect this cushionis predetermined by the proper adjustment of thei lower spring stop 36 on thejrod 34. This; cushioned downward stroke of the par t'spre-g vents the kinking and bending of the wireca-i ble, as would be the'case ifthe walking-Beam descended too far'or descended any a er th ei drilling-tool had struck the rock, 'a'n'd'the pre-i -"vention of this results from the steam-cushion? under the cylinder being admitted. at the This keeps the wire cable; straight and reasonably taut, and since it has? nokinks or bent shape at any" 'oi'nt' dur n whenever this'is desired. This'is accom-l 'plished by the connecting-rod iOfwh ich is the repeated strokes of thedril itd'oes not; break or wear, where if during each strokeofi the drill the cable should kinkatan -point it; would soon break at thatpoint,aird that dif-i ficultyzhas prevented theuse of a wire'c'ab'le in drilling heretofore. l

'The posts 15 of the construction are piva oted at their lower endsto thebasefrarne,

which 'perm'i'ts the walking beam and thev temper-screw mechanism to 'be"s'wun%rear-; ward from over the'welhasshownjin ig.

plvotally mounted on the upper end of" thef "rod 14,, and at itslow'e'r end is 'pivoted to hand-lever 41 between its ends. The hand-f lever is fulcrumedat'42 to theb'ase-frame.

herein named.

Byelevating-thehand-lever female position shown in F g;.--;1-,to that shown in Fig. 2 the shown in Fig. 1, and it is held in that position 'by the'chain' 43, which has a hook on its upper'end i 44 is a stop-block secured to the foundation- 'wansn bean'i and temper screw'will be ,moved rearward. They are moved forward by throwing down the lever 41 to the position frame for limiting the movement of the tiltin'g posts" 15 in one direction-the direction towardthe positio'nrof'the well thatrsbeing' drilled:

- Whatl claim isffii nvention-sadness toi secure by LettersPatent,-is+'.*4v v 1. A well-drilling apparatus including .a

walkin be'am adapted -to'.operate' well-drillmg to'o s, an 11' weirdly-extendingsupport;.to

which said we; king-beam is fulorumed, said upwardly-extending support being nil crnnied atit's/lower end, means for 'moving said upwardly extending support so as to tudinal movement, and a p give thebeam'lon stop to limit'the ongitudinal movement :of saidwa'lkin 'bea-m-.' j f i 1 "2. A wel drillin-g apparatus including a foundation-frame,.upwardly extendin .posts pivoted at their lower ends'to said foun ation,

a rod oonnecting the uppervends of said posts,

a walking-beam pivotedvon said rod, means connected with one end of said walking-beam for grasping the drilling cable, means for actuating said walking-beam, a hand leVer I mounted on the foundation-frame, and a con-' nee'ting-rod-extndin from said lever to the superstructure 'that til-ts said superstructure rearward away from-the well-being drilled 'when such movement is desired. 

